SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS OF ADRIAMYCIN AND TALL-104 CELL THERAPY AGAINST AHUMAN GASTRIC-CARCINOMA IN-VIVO

The single and combined antitumor effects of adriamycin and a major hi stocompatibility complex non-restricted human cytotoxic T cell line (T ALL-104) were evaluated in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice engrafted subcutaneously with a biopsy sample from a patient with a h ighly metastatic gastric carcinoma. Chemotherapy was initiated 3 weeks after tumor implantation, when local growth was advanced and consiste d of 2 weekly injections of adriamycin, gamma-irradiated (40 Gy) TALL- 104 cells were administered daily for 2 weeks, starting 1 day after th e end of chemotherapy. While TALL-104 cells or adriamycin alone did no t inhibit tumor growth, synergistic antitumor effects were seen with t he two treatments combined. These findings suggest that chemotherapy i n conjunction with cell therapy are effective in over coming tumor res istance to single therapeutic agents through mechanisms independent fr om the host immune system.